Deadly Secrets
by SeppukuSamurai
Summary: Gene has been taking dangerous side jobs in order to support the crew, but after an unintentional mistake, he is forced to fight for their lives and his own
1. Anger

Hey, I don't own OS or any of its characters. I wish I did but I don't. As in all my fics, this is the last time u'll read this disclaimer thing. Chapter One  
  
Issues  
  
A tall, red headed figure slowly stumbled along a murky sidewalk using one hand to steady himself against the brick wall beside him while the other was clamped tightly to his side as thick, crimson blood oozed out from between his fingers. Relief shone in the man's cobalt blue eyes as he reached the door of a building with a huge sign hanging over it that read "Starwind and Hawking Enterprises." He gently opened the door and silently closed it behind him before quickly making his way towards the small laundry room on the other side of the house. Before turning on the light in the small room, he stuffed several towels along the base of the door and used the remaining cloths to apply pressure to his injured side. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to keep a cry of agony from escaping his throat as he poured a large amount of alcohol on the wound and tightly bandaged it. The red headed man inspected the large bruises on his face and arms before throwing the crimson stained towels in the washing machine and making his way back to the living room where he collapsed on the couch from pain and exhaustion.  
  
~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*  
  
Jim shook his head in exasperation as he descended the stairs to find Gene's unconscious form sprawled haphazardly on the sofa with his mouth hanging open slightly as he drooled lightly on the leather upholstery.  
  
`God, I've found him like this almost every morning this week!'  
  
"GENE! GET YOUR LAZY ASS OFF THE COUCH!"  
  
The red headed outlaw yawned and rolled over so his back was facing Jim. "Just five more minutes, baby" he mumbled groggily into the cushions. A minute smile formed on the young man's lips as he heard Jim growl in frustration and stomp off into the other room. Gene had almost fallen back asleep when Jim, with a triumphant yell, tossed a bucket of ice-cold water on his partners sleeping form.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"  
  
Aisha casually licked her finger as she non-chalantly turned the page in her book, completely unfazed by the blood-curdling scream coming from the room next to her.  
  
" Gene's up."  
  
Melfina looked up her cooking with a minute smile upon her face. "It's about time. I thought he'd never.....get up." A look of sadness suddenly flashed across her face as she turned to look at the Ctarl-Ctarl lounging in the recliner nearby. "Do you know when he got home last night?"  
  
The young cat woman looked up from her novel, her expression softening slightly as she shook her head gently. "I'm sorry Mel, but I have no idea...I'm guessing maybe around two, maybe three." 'Or at least that's when I first noticed the scent of his blood.'  
  
The bio-android sighed. "He's been doing this for almost three months now, Aisha. Always leaving early to go party, not coming back until the wee hours of the morning only to repeat it again that night.....What am I going to do with him?" The Ctarl-Ctarl gently placed a clawed hand on her friend's shoulder in an attempt to reassure her that everything was going to be ok. She knew that the young woman had be extremely worried over the red headed outlaw lately because he had recently been coming back to the house covered in large cuts and bruises. "Don't worry Mel. He'll come to his senses eventually." 'Even if I have to beat that sense into him.' Both women looked up when Jim and Gene entered the kitchen and took a seat at the small table nearby as the red headed outlaw used a large white towel to quickly dry his soaked locks. Aisha frowned slightly when she noticed the reddish brown stain that now covered the once colorless cloth for she could have sworn that she caught the faint smell of blood emanating from it.  
  
Jim coughed slightly as an unreadable expression crossed his face. " So........ did we get any calls?" Gene smiled slightly at the blonde's question, though it didn't hold the excitement that it usually did.  
  
"Yeah at about six this morning." He replied in an annoyed tone. "Apparently some where house down town has been over run by some kind of creature and the owner is willing to pay us 750,000 Wong to get rid of them." Jim nearly spit out his coffee. "750,000 WONG!? This must be one hell of a monster or they're trying to get rid of."  
  
`You've got no idea' Gene thought as he gently touched the bruise on the side of his face. Last night one of his co-workers, Link, had accidentally set several merindas loose while unloading a scientific research ship. Merindas were very rare, very deadly creatures from some planet in the farthest reaches of the universe. They looked like a cross between a human and a snake, had strength like a Ctarl-Ctarl and fangs whose poison can kill you in minutes. Gene had been lucky to have only been attacked by their tails and fists but with the wound he had received at his job at the fight arena beforehand, he had been unable to capture all the creatures. His boss noticed his skills and offered him a fifty percent raise along with the 750,000 Wong if could catch all the cargo. Melfina's voice suddenly jerked him from his thoughts as he quickly raised his head to meet her chocolate brown gaze.  
  
"Gene, do you think that you could stay in tonight? I promise to make something really good for dinner." A wave of guilt spread throughout the outlaw's body. He knew he wouldn't be able to be late for the match tonight. If he won he would earn enough money to make a good sized dent in the debt they owed Fred and be able to at least get them caught up on the bills.  
  
"Umm......... yeah...........um, I'll try, but ........um.....I have a lot of things to do tonight........and I'll try ......but ummmmmm........ I think I'm gonna go tackle that where house now so later." Before anyone could respond, he leapt from the table, grabbed his weapons bag, and rushed out the door. Jim sighed and hastily said good-bye to the girls before rushing out the door after him. Rage began to flow through Aisha's entire body as she watched Mel sadly collect all the dishes and put them in the sink, silent tears streaming down her face the entire time. The Ctarl-Ctarl clenched her hands into fists, making her nail cut deeply into her palms as she stormed from the room. 'I swear to God Gene if you've been hurting Mel like this for some petty reason I'll kill you!'  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
When Gene and Jim finally returned home the sun was setting and the red headed outlaw was desperately trying to hide the excruciating pain that was coursing throughout his entire body. While hunting the creatures, Jim had been cornered in a small room as they slowly moved in for the kill. Gene got there just in time to push his young partner out of the way of the marinda's attack only to receive the entire blow himself. The red headed outlaw was flung into a nearby wall, right along his already injured side, causing it to reopen and bleed profusely. By the time he and Jim had chased the rest of the creatures into a holding pen, Gene's black shirt had been completely soaked through with the crimson liquid, making waves of dizziness begin to overcome him. He desperately fought against the black void that was growing at the edge of his mind as he slowly walked home with his partner who thankfully didn't notice the outlaw's balance problems as he stormed inside the house in front of his friend. Gene sighed slightly and ran a hand through his hair as quickly made his way to his room to keep everyone from seeing the large crimson stain on his jacket. He knew his cover was blown completely when he passed Aisha on his way upstairs, making her eyes widen in shock as she whipped her head around just in time to see the young outlaw disappear inside his room and forcefully pull the door shut behind him.  
  
" Aisha? Hey Aisha what's the matter?" The Ctarl-Ctarl quickly shifted her gaze so she could look upon Jim's quizzical face. She forced her lips to form a halfhearted smile as she waved off the young man's concerned question. "Oh it's nothing Jim, but tell me something. Did Gene get hurt on the job today?" The blond haired genius scratched his head in confusion as he racked his memories of what had happened earlier that day.  
  
" He did get slammed into a wall pretty hard but I don't think it caused anything serious. He didn't seem to be hurt at least."  
  
~~~~~~~~~UPSTAIRS~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gene was trying desperately not to make a sound as he carefully removed his blood soaked bandages and once again began the tedious process of cleaning and rewrapping them. He panicked slightly when he looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:45. 'Damn it I only have 15 minutes to get to the arena..damn damn damn.' The red headed outlaw quickly popped several pain killers into his mouth, chewing them into a fine powder before swallowing them dry[1], as he grabbed his black duffle bag and made his way down the spiral staircase. He had almost reached the front door when his partner's angry voice suddenly stopped him dead in his tracks.  
  
"GENE STARWIND WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING!!!!!!!" The outlaw quickly whipped around to find Jim staring at him with an infuriated look etched upon his face.  
  
"Out?"  
  
If looks could kill, gene would have been six feet under on the spot.  
  
"How can you even think about leaving? Mel really wants you to be here tonight and here you are slipping out for a night on the town." Every word the blonde spoke was dripping with venom as he approached the older man and placed and accusing finger right in his face.  
  
" She'll understand Jim, so back off. I gotta go or I'll be late." These few and simple words seemed to be the last straw for as soon as they left Gene's mouth Jim absolutely lost it. "YOU BASTERED! HOW CAN YOU BE SO GOD DAMN SELFISH?!" he screamed as he launched himself at the red headed outlaw, fists raised as he hit his partner right along his already bruised jaw. Gene didn't want to fight his young friend, so he calmly placed one hand against his forehead and lightly threw him onto the sofa nearby. While the blonde youth angrily tried to untangle himself from the mountains of pillows, Gene seized his opportunity and ran out the front door as fast as his legs could carry him. A loud growl escaped Jim's throat when he was finally able to escape. He quickly launched himself at the door and was about to follow after Gene when a clawed hand was gently placed upon his shoulder, stopping his advance. Jim looked up to find himself looking into Aisha's concerned green eyes.  
  
" Don't worry Jim I'll take care of it." The blond youth opened his mouth to protest, then abruptly shut it and nodded slightly.  
  
"Kick his ass good for me OK?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ {1} ive heard that if u chew a pill rather then swallow it whole it makes the effects stronger but they taste REALLY bad....im not sure if it's true but its gonna apply in this fic. Hey this is my 1st OS fanfic so reviews would b great. I'll even take flames cause in some weird twisted way they really can help the writing process. 


	2. Bloody Mistakes

Aisha growled softly as yet another large body rudely brushed past her. The coppery sent of Gene's blood had lead her to the crowded Sentinel III fighting arena, which was teaming with every kind of shady scumbag imaginable as they impatiently waited for the night's onslaught to begin. The Ctarl-Ctarl gracefully wove her way in and out of the crowd until she found herself near a very wealthy looking man in his late forties surrounded by several questionable looking young women dressed in clothing that just barely covered the essentials. She nonchalantly approached him from behind and in a move that no human eye could see, slipped her clawed hand into his jacket pocket and removed a single top box ticket. A large grin graced her lips as the young cat woman made her way towards 'her' seat, pausing only to flash her pass at the rather snooty usher who had questioned her, before quickly sitting down in the comfortable leather recliner. Her bright green eyes soon began to flit through the monstrous crowd in an attempt to pick out the red headed outlaw from their vast numbers.

'_Now where are you Gene? You asshole, I know you're here somewhere.'_

Aisha's gaze suddenly fell on a tall, redheaded figure standing near the edge of the fighting ring whose hand was clamped hard against his side, a look of intense pain etched across his masked face as the announcer's voice boomed overhead.

As Gene leaned over to adjust the Caster gun attached to his belt, a bolt of intense pain suddenly ripped through his entire body. He gritted his teeth as he attempted to keep an agony filled moan from escaping his throat as he carefully placed his hand over the wound on his side. He cursed heavily under his breath when he examined his palm only to find it coated in a thick layer of blood. The sound of the announcer overhead suddenly brought him forth from his shock as the crowd began to cheer and scream for the upcoming fight. The redheaded outlaw took a deep breath while he forced himself to stand up straight as he readjusted the black leather mask placed across his eyes1 and quickly made his way to his side of the ring.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…TONIGHT'S FIGHT WILL START MOMENTARILY…SO BEFORE YOU PLACE YOUR BETS, PLEASE LET ME INTRODUCE TO YOU THE TWO FIGHTERS OF THE NIGHT….IN THE RED CORNER, STANDING AT AN INCREDIBLE 6'2" AND WEIGHING IN AT 173 POUNDS, COMING TO YOU ALL THE WAY FROM THE CTARL-CTARL HOME WORLD, PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR RAIGAA!!!"

The stands erupted in a frenzy of cheering and clapping as a tall figure suddenly emerged on the crimson hued side of the fighting ring. His white blond hair contrasted drastically against his deeply tanned skin along with the dark brown stripes that covered his muscular, leather cladded body. The large catlike ears on either side of his head twitched slightly from the roaring crowd that surrounded him as his intense emerald green eyes took in every detail of the arena. An egotistical smirk spread across his lips, revealing sharp pointed fangs as he crossed his arms over his chest and slouched slightly against the ropes to make it appear as if he were already bored with the fight. The announcer's voice once again echoed throughout the arena as he began to introduced Gene's alter ego.

"AND IN THE BLUE CORNER, STANDING AT 5'10'' AND WEIGHING IN AT 152 POUNDS2…THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION OF THE SENTINEL III FIGHTING ARENA, MASUKU NO KAGE!!!!" The red headed outlaw quickly stood as straight as possible, hiding a small wince of pain as he hastily climbed into his side of the fighting ring. A wave of dizziness overcame him for a moment and he desperately attempted to keep from stumbling as his foe stared at him with an unreadable expression etched across his features. Gene paled slightly as he watched the young Ctarl-Ctarl inhale deeply, a look of confusion spreading across his face as he returned his gaze to his opponent. Without a moments notice, Raigaa suddenly made his way across the ring in the outlaws direction, stopping momentarily to exchange several hasty words with the judge before coming to a stop directly in front of the red headed man. He leaned in towards Gene, motioning him to do the same before speaking out in a deep, hushed voice. "Are you injured?" The young outlaw cursed mentally as he tried to hide a look of shock.

"Why should it matter to you?"

The blond Ctarl-Ctarl put his arms behind his head and fixed the small ponytail that held his hair in place before casting his sharp emerald gaze back on his red headed opponent. "You're right, I shouldn't give a damn, but I'm an honorable guy and fighting an opponent who's not at their best is against my code." Gene smiled inwardly as he thought of how he could get across to his honor driven opponent that he really didn't have a choice.

"Look man, I appreciate the concern and all but if I don't fight, I don't get paid and let's just say I got a few people depending on me for this money."

A surprised look crossed Raigaa's face but was soon replaced with the same egotistical smirk from before. He nodded slightly and made his way back towards his side of the ring, stopping momentarily to call out to his foe from over his shoulder. "Suit yourself, but remember, I may be an honorable guy but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on ya." Gene frowned slightly, wondering what hell he had gotten himself into as the bell rang out around them, forcing a loud cheer from the crowd as their fight began. The red headed outlaw abruptly pushed the throbbing pain in his side towards the back of his mind as he left his corner and slowly began to circle the ring, all the while keeping Raigaa in his sight. The Ctarl-Ctarl seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move and Gene, not being one to disappoint, begrudgingly complied. He quickly threw off his black trench coat and tossed it in Raigaa's direction, using it as a distraction as he shot several rounds at his opponent while he sprinted across the ring. The Ctarl-Ctarl's eyes widened slightly as he sliced through the coat before dodging the bullets with lightning like speed. He growled softly as more ammunition rained down on him from across the ring and clenched his fists together in frustration before forcefully driving them into the floor beneath him. A large fissure appeared from where Raigaa's hand had disappeared into the ground, which steadily stretched out towards the young outlaw, successfully knocking him off his feet. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth together in agony as a wave of excruciating pain began to flood his entire body.

The Ctarl-Ctarl quickly leapt into the air above the outlaw, raising his fist in preparation of driving straight through the young outlaw. Gene, seeing his opponent about to attack, hastily rolled out of the way, barely escaping the wrath of Raigaa's assault, only to leave a large, crimson smear in his wake. He quickly leapt to his feet and was in the process of loading a caster shell into his gun when Raigaa suddenly appeared out of nowhere and forcefully punched the outlaw square in the jaw, sending him flying through the air until he landed on the other side of the ring with a sickening thud. Gene groaned slightly and shook his head to clear his reeling vision as he tediously pulled himself pack onto his feet only to have a strong, clawed hand suddenly take hold of his throat and slowly lift him into the air. The redheaded man gasped for breath as he struggled to free himself from the Ctarl-Ctarl's vice like grip but it was no use. His opponent was far too strong and the pain from his wounds had weakened him greatly. Gene coughed harshly, sending a small trickle of blood down the side of his mouth as his vision slowly began to blur before his eyes. An egotistical smirk once again appeared upon Raigaa's lips, though his eyes held a slightly remorseful look within them as he drew the outlaw closer so that their noses were almost touching before speaking to him in a hushed, superior tone.

"I told you that I wouldn't go easy on you." Gene laughed callously, causing the Ctarl-Ctarl's arrogant expression to quickly melt into one of confusion. "What's so funny?" The tell tale click of a gun being loaded suddenly reached Raigaa's ears, causing him to quickly glance downwards only to find the Caster being pressed into his side. A loud growl suddenly made its way past the Ctarl-Ctarl's lips as he quickly released his hold on the redhead's neck and hastily attempted to get out of range, but by then it was too late. Gene pulled to trigger, sending a castor shell directly at his opponent, causing him to fly backwards across the ring from the force of blast, where he his the ground with a sickening thud. The crowd suddenly erupted in a roar of cheering and hissing as the judge slowly began to count to ten before rushing to Gene's side and thrusting his hand into the air, declaring him the winner. By this point in time, the red haired outlaw was swaying drunkenly on his feet from his extreme blood loss, fighting desperately against the black void that was growing at the edge of his mind.

Completely ignoring the cheering crowd around him, Gene shakily made his way out of the ring and towards the long corridor leading to the locker room, leaving a long crimson smear upon the wall as he leaned heavily upon it for support. He slowly opened the door and made his way towards the cabinet that held his stuff, sitting heavily upon the wooden bench in front of it as he quickly pulled off his black muscle shirt, wincing slightly as the long, deep gash on his side was exposed to the cold air around him. The young outlaw proceeded to dig into his bag, his hand shaking violently as he retrieved a roll of bandages along with a small bottle of disinfectant. A long, pain filled hiss escaped Gene's lips as he quickly poured the antiseptic on his side, allowing to fizz slightly before wrapping the bandages tightly around his abdomen. He also examined the claw marks that marred his neck, treating them as he did his side while nursing the other various cuts and bruises that had appeared upon his body.

The door suddenly burst open, causing the red headed man to jump slightly in alarm as a small group of people entered the room. Most of them appeared to be of the same build, their large, muscular bodies giving away the obvious fact that they were bodyguards, but two smaller figures seemed to stand out from the others as they slowly made their way towards the wounded outlaw. One of them was a thin, lanky man who appeared to be in about his mid-twenties, dressed simply in a pair of baggy black drawstring pants, similar to those a martial artist would wear, along with a form fitting black shirt with an intricate dragon design embroidered upon it in silver thread. An elaborate tattoo peaked out from under the man's shirt, weaving its way down his right arm before stopping just above his elbow where a brilliant silver cuff had been placed. His short coal black hair was slicked back against his skull, leaving only his golden bangs to hang across his hansom, sun kissed face, slightly obscuring his ruthless crimson eyes as he gazed upon Gene with an almost hungry expression.

The other figure was that of a young woman who held onto the man's arm in an almost possessive manner while she too glared upon the injured outlaw with cold, amber eyes. Her long, sea green hair was pulled back away from her face, secured in a small bun by several ornate look picks, which Gene had learned long ago were actually sharp daggers 3. Her form fitting silk kimono seemed to hang upon her every curve before flaring out at the woman's hips and cascading down to the floor where it stopped just above the tops of her feet.

Gene gritted his teeth together in an effort to suppress the growl growing in his throat as he glared across the room at his visitors. "What can I do for you now, Akogi?" A depraved smile worked its way across the man's lips at hearing the sarcastic tone within the outlaws voice but chose to ignore it.

"I thought we were under the agreement, Mr. Starwind, that you were to throw tonight's fight, thus earning me more money. So why is it that instead I stand before you, missing several hundred thousand Wong from my pocket?" Gene shuddered inwardly as he watched Akogi's eyes wonder over his body but chose to respond to the question by a simple shrug of his shoulder.

"It just happened. An accident I suppose." The man's smile faltered, his eyes narrowing slightly before a malicious expression once again appeared upon his face as Akogi finally noticed the blood soaked bandages covering the outlaw's side.

"My, my Mr. Starwind. It looks as though you have quite a nasty cut there. Maybe you should have my men take a look at it." Akogi smirked sadistically as he snapped his fingers together, signaling his guards to attack the injured outlaw. In his weak, exhausted state, Gene could do little more then throw a few wobbly punches before finding himself hurled to the floor, weakly attempting to shield himself from the barrage of ruthless punches landing all over his all ready battered body. With one last kick to his rib cage, the assault finally came to a halt, allowing the redheaded man a moment to recollect himself before they came at him again. Gene barely registered the soft footsteps heading towards him as he attempted to force himself into a semi-sitting position, spitting the blood that accumulated in his mouth onto the floor. A dark shadow suddenly fell across the outlaw's body before some one reached down and violently took hold of his hair, forcing the young man to stare at Akogi's smirking face.

"You're lucky that you still of some use to me, Mr. Starwind, otherwise I would have just let my men carry on until they were satisfied." The sadistic smile on the man's face became wider as he watched Gene struggle for breath, enjoying every wince that came across the outlaw's face when he accidentally aggravated his wounds. Akogi then slowly made his way towards the outlaw's prone form, sidestepping the pool of blood streaming from the wound in Gene's side before crouching down in front of him and taking hold of the redhead's chin, forcing his face closer that that their noses almost touched. Akogi stroked the side of Gene's face, relishing in the knowledge that it caused the outlaw to shudder slightly in disgust. "Now listen closely Mr. Starwind. You _will_ help me win back the money I lost tonight, understand?" Gene laughed sardonically, sending a small stream of blood down the side of his mouth.

"The money…I owe you? Why should…I help you win back money…that you bet and lost all on...your own?"

Akogi smirked at the pain filled question, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the outlaw continue to struggle with his breathing. A guard abruptly shot forward as Akogi snapped his fingers, kicking the outlaw in his badly injured side, sending him flying into a nearby locker before falling to the floor with a sickening thud. Akogi then motioned for the young woman to come closer, having her hand him several pieces of glossy paper before retreating back to her former position. "My dear Inari here is quite the surveillance expert. You'd be surprised at just how many of my enemy's weaknesses she has been able to discover for me."

He then proceeded to dangle the pieces of paper before Gene, making his eyes widen in shock when he saw exactly whom the subjects in the pictures were. One was a quick shot of the group sitting down for dinner, their smiling faces completely oblivious to the stalker who, judging by the camera angle, must have been watching from just outside the living room window. The next was a picture of Gene and Jim, taken just a few hours ago as they fought over the redhead leaving the house. When Akogi finally showed the injured youth the last of the photographs, it successfully destroyed the last of the outlaw's resolve at defying Akogi's demand. It had been taken more then a week ago after a particularly nasty fight at the arena. Gene had come home scratched up and completely exhausted only to find Melfina waiting for him in the living room with the first aid kit resting right beside her. She tended to his wounds no questions asked and, before returning to her room, placed a gentle kiss upon the outlaw's lips, leaving a slight blush across his features as he attempted to regain his composure. Akogi smiled ruthlessly as he watched the look of complete submission appear upon Gene's face before returning the pictures back to Inari and settling himself down upon a nearby bench where he proceeded to light a cigarette.

"I take it that you understand what will happen should you refuse." Gene paused slightly before nodding his head as he slowly pushed himself upward so he could lean against the cold steel locker behind him. "Good boy. Now listen closely. In a weeks time, there will be a competition taking place right here on Sentinel III called the Jigai Tournament. You will be entering and you _will_ win back the money that you owe me, is that understood?" Gene once again nodded his head, making Akogi's heartless smile widen even more. "Good. All the necessary information shall be sent to you no later then tomorrow evening and I expect you back here the day before the tournament so we can work out some of the minor details." Akogi then rose to his feet, taking a long drag off his cigarette before flicking it in the outlaw's direction as he made his way out the door with Inari and his bodyguards following soon after.

A long, pain filled sigh worked its way past Gene's lips as he placed a shaking hand across his eyes while he attempted to gather what energy he had left in order to pull himself up from the floor. He quickly grabbed a nearby towel and pressed it against his side to staunch the bleeding as he slowly managed to get onto his feet and shakily walk towards a row of sinks resting against the opposite wall. After securing the towel to his side, Gene proceeded to clean the blood from his face and arms, wincing slightly when he looked in the mirror and discovered just how horrible he looked at the moment. '_Damn it! Mel's gonna shit a brick when she sees this.'_ A wave of dizziness suddenly over came the redheaded outlaw, making him lean heavily upon the sink as his vision began to darken, signaling to the young man that he fighting a losing battle. The redhead's grip upon the porcelain suddenly slipped, causing the outlaws knees to buckle under the unexpected weight. Just before he hit the floor, Gene felt two strong hands suddenly take hold of his arm, successfully saving him from smashing his head against the floor as two concerned emerald eyes glared down at him. The injured youth cursed heavily under his breath as Aisha silently helped him to his feet, throwing his arm over her shoulder to keep him steady as he swayed slightly on his feet.

"Aisha look about this, it's…"

"Save it for later. Let's just get you home ok." Not willing to push his luck against the cat woman's legendary temper, Gene allowed himself to be lead out of the locker room and down the hall towards the exit, all the while fighting desperately against the darkness threatening to engulf him as they slowly made their way back home. Just before they walked through the front door of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, Gene slowly turned towards Aisha with a slightly apprehensive look upon his face.

"What all did you hear?" Aisha sighed heavily before glancing towards the injured outlaw, a mixed look of sadness, concern and annoyance etched across her face.

"Just about everything."

" 'S what I thought." He sighed heavily, hissing slightly when the pain from his wounds came rushing back at him while he slowly reached for the door handle but, instead of turning it, just allowed his hand to rest upon the knob. "Does Mel know?"

"Not yet and for now it might be a good idea just to keep it that way." Gene nodded his head in agreement as the pair made their way into the shadow-covered house, the deafening silence within making the hairs on the outlaw's neck stand on end. Aisha quickly reached for the light switch, her eyes narrowing momentarily as they adjusted to the hash overhead lighting before allowing her to take in the jumbled state of their house. The leather sofa had been flipped over and seemingly thrown across the room while the kitchen table had been reduced to nothing more then a large pile of splintered wood, its chairs lying nearby in a similar state. Papers and various bit of clothing had been strewn about, mixed amongst broken bits of glass from the broken picture frames that had once adorned the walls. Aisha quickly sprinted up the stairs, frantically calling out for Jim and Melfina as she desperately searched their rooms only to find them empty and in the same state as the rest of the house. The Ctral-Ctral then made her way back down stairs where she found Gene sitting in the middle of the floor, an unreadable expression etched across his face as he stared at a small piece of paper taped to the back of the front door.

_**Dear Mr. Starwind,**_

Just in case you were thinking about skipping town, I took the liberty of using your friends as an incentive for you to keep your word. Should you go ahead and choose to leave Sentinel III or should you not win the tournament, they will die immediately. So please don't do anything rash. See you in five days.

_**Love,**_

_**Akogi**_

TBC……..

COMMENTS

1 ok in case that didn't make sense, he's basically wearing a typical robber's

mask that just covers the eyes…..like Zorro's only it doesn't cover his hair.

2 his weight and height I got off of some official web site. For some reason all

anime characters seem to have these seemingly impossible

measurements!!!

3 like hair chopsticks only a little bit thicker and with daggers on the end

hey sry it took me so damn long to update. I had issues deciding where I wanted this to go but I have a pretty good idea now. Anyways hope you like it and just remember….I WORKED ON MY BIRTHDAY TO GET THIS UP FOR YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!! Ok so it was the 18th but I have been up late into the night working on this so yeah…all I want is a cookie. Luvs ya all! Laters!

P.S. sorry about all the character descriptions but I promise that they aren't there just to make the chapter look pretty. Those characters play parts later on I promise!!!! Also sorry about the fight scene being kinda….awkward…I'm not very good at them if you haven't noticed.


End file.
